Philippines SSS expands benefits and freelancer coverage

The Social Security System (SSS) has disbursed ₱63.74 billion in death benefits during the first nine months of 2026, representing a 10.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025. SSS President and CEO Victor Alfonso A. Limlingan attributed the rise to an early implementation of the second tranche of the Pension Reform Program in June 2026, which increased monthly pensions for surviving spouses by 5%.

The number of death benefit beneficiaries grew by 5.7% to 1.4 million. As of September 2026, the average monthly death pension was ₱4,568, with individual pensions ranging from a minimum of ₱2,000 to a maximum of ₱23,422.

In a separate initiative to support the digital economy, the SSS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The partnership aims to expand social security protection to approximately 1.5 million freelancers and virtual assistants in the Philippines. The collaboration focuses on increasing awareness and registration among online workers to ensure they can access benefits for sickness, maternity, disability, retirement, and death.